Which Deluxe to stay at before cruise?

[Taylormade0503]

Hello! Is there a certain Deluxe resort that people recommend we stat at the night before our Disney Cruise? Or are they all about the same in terms of ease of transportation to the port? THANKS!

 

[sponica]

Honestly it's all YMMV. It all depends on how many people are booked at the resort for a pre-cruise stay. Not a lot of people, and you'll end up stopping at more than one hotel.

Pre-cruise last year we stayed at POR and I think we filled the entire bus. Maybe it stopped at POFQ first, but I don't think it did. Post cruise, we were at Wilderness Lodge and we were the only family that got off there.

 

[Dug720]

Honestly it's all YMMV. It all depends on how many people are booked at the resort for a pre-cruise stay. Not a lot of people, and you'll end up stopping at more than one hotel.

Pre-cruise last year we stayed at POR and I think we filled the entire bus. Maybe it stopped at POFQ first, but I don't think it did. Post cruise, we were at Wilderness Lodge and we were the only family that got off there.

Exactly this. If you're taking the DCL bus, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

 

[ilovebassets]

We've stayed at SSR pre cruise. Lovely pools and great for walking to Disney Springs for dinner the night before.

 

[5Texans]

We’ve done Beach Club and didn’t stop anywhere else, I think we were the last stop.

 

[dreamer17555]

If the goal is the earliest BG- Hyatt MCO, otherwise there is no way to know which deluxe is getting picked up first, second, only ones being picked up as it will be determined by your fellow passengers and logistics

 

[DonaldEsquire]

I don’t think you can really go wrong. We’ve done Yacht Club and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Both great experiences. Getting ready to do Riviera this summer.

 

[Jme W]

Agreeing with the consensus here. It might be worth checking your particular sailings FB group to see where others are staying pre-cruise - if a lot are leaning towards one particular resort it might be worthwhile to follow suit, so that you can fill the bus.

Personally, I would just stay at whichever resort I enjoy the most. Your bus transfer won't be dramatically impacted either way so might as well stay wherever you find the most magical

 

[jimmymc]

In terms of ease, they're all pretty similar. The Disney bus and luggage team takes care of everything for you.

If you're not visiting the parks, I'd recommend Animal Kingdom. They have a lot to do and good dining options. If you want to visit a park, I'd go for whatever has the most convenient transportation there.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We stayed at SSR in Preferred and loved it. Quite a few other people had the same thought, our bus was full.

 

[Disnsyncey]

If you're not visiting the parks, I'd recommend Animal Kingdom. They have a lot to do and good dining options. If you want to visit a park, I'd go for whatever has the most convenient transportation there.

I vote AKL or SSR if you're not doing a park, great things to keep you satiated and entertained!

 

[Dug720]

I will say busses are not segregated by resort type (only Villa resorts on a bus, only Deluxe resorts on a bus, etc.) - when I stayed the night before at Riviera (a Villa resort), we drove around and picked up people from CBR (a Moderare), AoA (a Value), and Pop (also a Value).

Barring a bus being filled by people at AKL, I can definitely see them picking up from CSR and maybe even the All Stars depending on numbers.

So unless you only stay Deluxe and that is what you want, just know that it's the same bus and same headed to the cruise routine regardless of the on-property resort you stay at.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

We stayed at the Grand and it stopped at the Poly after picking us up and then headed to the port, it wasn't a full bus either. When we stayed the FQ (yearrrrs ago) the bus went straight to the port after picking us up.

 

[Kris15625]

AKL - beautiful resort, great dining and a wonderful place to stay for a non-park trip!

 

[Chirple]

Our last cruise in February my incentive for picking Riviera (DVC points) was the convenience of being in the building where the pickup occurred. We've stayed at both Bay Lake Tower and Saratoga Springs pre-cruise, and I felt it would be easier to get to the meeting point if we were in the building.

 

[lois00525]

This year we are staying at the Yacht Club before our cruise because we like the proximity to Epcot, and also enjoy Boardwalk.

 

[ludari]

I agree with the recommendations of previous posters. I was at Beach Club for my last cruise this past March for three days prior to my cruise. I did not visit the parks and enjoyed the dinning options at the resort as well as Boardwalk Villas since you can walk or take a boat. I've also stayed at Bay Lake before a cruise and I did visit MK and enjoyed the proximity to the park and the monorail. As far as Disney Transportation to the port it was fine at both resorts and yeah you might be the first pickup or the second or even third but it was never full. Enjoy.

 

[Tripscarcare]

Didn't stay at a deluxe last week, but was at CBR. We took a message the day before for a pickup time. Luggage was picked up at our rooms for 7am, had to meet in the main lobby near the cruise ship model for 930. We were on the bus moving by 945 am and hit Port Canaveral for close to 11am. We were on board for 1145 with group 5. The Disney shuttle and service was the best choice for going, the bus was not packed full and only had CBR guests. Well worth the money, we used Away we Go for private car service on for the return trip to MCO. We had a late sit down breakfast on board the ship and got picked up and were at the airport for 1015.